Friday, December 27, 2019

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT IN JERICHO-UNDERHILL- 2000 BIRDS IN 24 HOURS!


UPDATE 1/23/20 - WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT THE FIRST JERICHO-UNDERHILL CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT on Mt. Mansfield Community Television

Every winter for over a hundred years now, all around the northern half of the globe, people choose a day to get outside and count birds. Some drive, some walk, some ski or snowshoe, while others watch their own backyard feeders.

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was begun in 1900 as an alternative to the popular Christmas Day hunts that resulted in huge piles of dead birds. It's now the longest running citizen science project in the world. The vast amount of data gathered has provided invaluable information about the numbers and health of wintering birds.


There are several CBCs in Vermont. Four of them cover areas not far from Underhill and Jericho, but not a single one actually counts the birds right here in our communities. We’ve got lots of diverse habitats, knowledgeable birders, and lots of birds - so we decided to start a Christmas Bird Count right here! 

A posting on Front Porch Forum and one on the Vermont birders' listserv resulted in more than twenty volunteers, several with extensive experience with CBCs.
Maeve sketched out rough circle, in pencil, on two pages torn out of a road atlas. 
Then she divided the circle into five sections and started making lists of roads and neighborhoods to be canvassed. The whole project really took shape when one of our group, Judy Bond, took the sketch and turned it into a beautiful professional map with different colors for different routes. 

Christmas Bird Count circles have to be accepted by the National Audubon Society, but the organization strongly suggests at least one trial year before applying for official status. We decided on December 22 for our "shake-down cruise". 

We lucked out with the weather! The day was mild and almost windless, with just a bit of snow on the ground.

Most birders started the day at 7AM, but a few were out before dawn, eager to find some owls. 







Seven cars canvassed the Jericho, Jericho Center, Underhill, Underhill Center, and Jericho-Bolton areas, driving slowly through neighborhoods. 

 Our car - bathed in the mud of Jericho dirt roads!


Birders stopped frequently to watch feeders and to walk along wooded trails. 






We were sometimes watched by curious neighbors!

















This pigeon came out of its roosting place to see what was going on.

The birding groups didn't have time for a lot of photography, but Bernie managed to capture a few photos of birds that didn't move!



We met at JCAT in the evening to tally our results and share food and stories. 



We had seen 34 species of birds -  over 2000 individual birds! Some species, such as chickadees and blue jays, were seen by every one of the seven birding groups. Others were much rarer, including a few Ruffed Grouse and one lone Belted Kingfisher that had stayed behind when most of its kind migrated south. The full list is below.


The first-ever Jericho-Underhill Christmas Bird Count included the following birders: Jason Crooks, Judy Bond, Jeff Hullstrung, Eric Wood, Shirley Zundell, Jacob Crawford, Grace Nelson, Evergreen Erb, Isis Erb, Sabina Ernst, Terry Marron, Michele Tulis, Bill and Renata Banke, Spencer Hardy, Jim Morris, Maeve Kim, Bernie Paquette, Tom Jiamachello, Elena Bray, Claire Gaboree and Chris Butler.
We were helped by neighbors who invited us to look at their feeders and others who stopped us to tell us about nearby birds.
Our next task is to apply to the National Audubon Society for official status as the Jericho-Underhill CBC. We hope to be counting our local neighborhood birds again in 2020! And we hope to be together again, enjoying nature and chilly, early morning camaraderie!




A few finches from the day:


a surprisingly large group of Purple Finches



American Goldfinch


Here's the whole list:
Eastern Bluebird, Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Brown Creeper, American Crow, Mourning Dove, House Finch, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Ruffed Grouse, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Blue Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, Belted Kingfisher, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Barred Owl, Rock Pigeon, Common Raven, American Robin, House Sparrow, Song Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, European Starling, Tufted Titmouse, Cedar Waxwing, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Winter Wren
Official CBCs also tally birds seen during "count week": three days before and three days after the count day. Bill and Renata Banke added one species to our list on 12/20: a lingering Great Blue Heron!

Thanks to fellow birders who sent photos from the day - Tom Jiamachello, Grace Nelson, Jeff Hullstrung.

Friday, October 4, 2019

Fall Migration on Plum Island - Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Whimbrel photo by Rich Larsen

We've visited Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island MA many times - and every time we've been fascinated, delighted and enchanted. The mix of ocean, sandy beach, rocks, rivers, salt marsh, trees and shrubs, breeze and sun calms the soul and recharges the spirit.   




This time there was a bonus: perfect weather for a full week, including two eighty-degree days ideal for going to the beach. 










Spring on Plum Island is all about warblers and other songbirds. Winter is about the owls. In the autumn, it's migrating shorebirds.



When shorebirds find an area of beach or mud flat that's rich in invertebrates to eat, they often stay right there for hours.  


Semipalmated Sandpiper





Semipalmated Plover

("Semipalmated" means that the  birds have some webbing between their toes,  though not as much as ducks.)



In breeding plumage, the bellies of Dunlins (above and below) are a rich, dense black color. Like many other birds, Dunlins have more subtle coloring after courtship and breeding are done for the year.



If I could fly without carbon, 
soar afar with a bird's-eye view; 
live off the crustacean rich mud flats and salt pans.
If I could change my appearance to dazzle the females 
when the time was right.
AH - the kingdom to join the avian shorebird world.
~ Bernie



Least Sandpiper


Many Plum Island beaches are closed each year from May through July (and sometimes into August) to protect the nests of endangered Piping Plovers. By September, most of these little birds have already left the island for points south. We were delighted to see three of them!



+/- 250 Semipalmated Plovers blended into the sand obscuring the Piping Plover who was even more camouflaged, seemingly made of the very sand surrounding it. 

Pectoral Sandpiper

Every so often, a hungry raptor sent the whole shorebird flock into the air. 




They usually circled around a few times, trying to confuse and dazzle the raptor, and then returned to the beach. 




A few of the little birds in each flock kept a watchful eye out for another possible attack from the sky.


Merlin


Northern Harrier by Sheri Larsen

Peregrine Falcon photo by Sheri

Shorebirds shared the beaches with several species of gulls. Three of the Great Black-backed Gulls and one Herring Gull were banded so that US Fish and Wildlife personnel can keep track of their travels.

















One bird also sported a wing tag:



We'll report the band numbers and might get back information about where and when the gulls were banded.

Birding starts early on Plum Island!



We were with several other people from Vermont and New Hampshire: Mary Ann, Gail, Judy, Jenn, Kathy, Susan, Kit, Larry, Sheri, Marty, and two named Rich. (We also ran into birders from many states and a few distant countries.)











Fall migration on Plum Island features other migrants, including thousands of swallows gathering and preparing for long trips to the Caribbean and further south.





There are scores of Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets.
And even a white torpedo with wings (a mute swan flying by).



Double-crested Cormorants gathered in huge rafts.


And, of course, lots of sparrows ... We saw Song, Savannah and one Saltmarsh.

Savannah Sparrow by Sheri Larsen

Northern Mockingbirds and Gray Catbirds sometimes stay on the island year round.





Storms or hurricanes bring surprises. Hurricane Dorian brought several special visitors to the island:


Whimbrel photo by Sheri Larsen

Gull-billed Tern
The attraction of a "rare bird"
has more to do with
your geography than the bird!




Black Skimmers (9 - 13 oz. with a 43"-45" wing span) dwarfed by the bulky Black-backed gull (46-70 oz., 57"-63" wing span) 


One thing that Plum Island in the fall DOESN'T have is the dreaded Greenhead Fly! Those things can bite through denim.





Plum Island: miles of sandy beaches, long boardwalks leading to ocean overlooks, pines, plum bushes, dune grass and salt marsh.
















Marsh Loop at Hellcat, still under reconstruction




































Common Eider - photo by Rich Larsen

Learning bird IDs is like learning math in school.
If the answer is handed to you, the instant gratification is short lived.
If on the other hand, you search for clues,
observe details, listen to the bird calls - 
that bird will become yours for life!
That is a true life bird.

 





 






More birds from wonderful Plum Island:




















One of the advantages of traveling from Vermont to Plum Island for birding is that nearly all the common birds (for Plum Island) are uncommon for us Vermonters.


And of course watching bird behavior is often full of surprises and brings delight. 
   
One need not
name a bird
to enjoy
its features and behavior. 
Beauty is in our appreciation of what we see - 
not what we name it.
- Bernie 
photos by Bernie, other words by Maeve










Have you ever thought of what the short-legged shorebirds
 make of us? 
Perhaps they call themselves "peep watchers" - 
for people-watching.








Plum Island, like Fantasy Island, 
leave your troubles behind.
Seek the experience 
you desire.
Celebrate the experiences
that find you!

At sunset
I think
ALL Plovers look like
Golden Plovers.


Complete list of birds seen: Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, American Black Duck, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Wild Turkey, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Black-bellied Plover, American Golden Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Piping Plover, Killdeer, Hudsonian Godwit, Stilt Sandpiper, Sanderling, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Long- and Short-billed Dowitchers, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Black Skimmer, Northern Gannet, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Horned Lark, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, House Sparrow, American Pipit, American Goldfinch, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Bay-breasted Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal

On your next visit to Plum Island, why not stay at our favorite lodging? We love Joyce's airbnb, only steps from the entrance to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island. Aptly named My Plum Island Dream House, this is a beautiful place, spotlessly clean, with two bedrooms, a laundry room, two porches, great shower and beds, and big living/dining/kitchen area. 

For more information read the article in The Daily News by Steve Grinley:
Words on Birds: Fall shorebird migration is commencing.

Also, check out Joppa Flats Education Center.

And see our previous visit to Plum Island postings @
https://vtbirdsandwords.blogspot.com/2018/06/plum-island-birds-beach-and-nature.html
and
https://vtbirdsandwords.blogspot.com/2018/06/plum-island-birds-beach-and-nature-part.html
and
https://vtbirdsandwords.blogspot.com/2017/12/plum-island-great-any-time-of-year.html

Emailed comments: 
Woot! ~ Bryan
Gorgeous! Makes me want to go birding! - Melissa at Joppa Flats
Will certainly be sharing your photos with the rest of the refuge staff! - Parker River NWR